L Lawliet, commonly referred to by his alias "L", is a fictional character in the manga, anime and film series Death Note. L is considered the world's greatest detective, whose identity remains unknown before the story takes place because he has never revealed himself to the public. L takes on the Kira investigation in the first arc. The character of L is portrayed by Ken'ichi Matsuyama in Death Note, Death Note: The Last Name and L: Change the WorLd.